Laundry shake-out device



May 11, 1954 F. A. MANN, JR

LAUNDRY SHAKE-OUT DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 14, 1950 w w .O

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y 1, 1954 F. A. MANN, JR 2,677,900

LAUNDRY SHAKE-OUT DEVICE Filed Jan. 14, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN 16R. f7: 5054 /C/; A MA A/N, J2-

ATTO/F/Vfff Patented May 11,1954

STATS 11 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for conditioning small laundry items for ironing, which device is particularly intended for use in a commercial laundry handling family washings.

Considerable time is now expended in a commercial laundry in handling small pieces from family bundles which have passed through the washing and extracting machines, in order to prepare those pieces for ironing. The washing and extracting operations tend to twist the individual laundry pieces into compact rolls or wads, and frequently cause the different work-pieces to intertwine in a compact mass formed of a number of worlnpieces. This occurs despite the fact that the items of a given bundle are confined together in a net bag during washing and extracting, and the bags separate the laundered items into groups during the washing and extracting operations. As a consequence of the wadding and intertwining of the individual laundry pieces, those individual pieces must be separated and shaken or otherwise spread or flattened in order to permit them to be placed in an ironer. A. considerable ai lount of manual manipulation and handling is now required to accomplish this service, and it is a common practice to station a number of operators at the feeding station of an ironing machine in order to feed the work-pieces to the machine at a rate which permits the machine to operate at any reasonable speed at or approaching its capacity. The number of workers required at this particular station entails a substantial labor cost, and, therefore, any reduction in the number of workers required constitutes a commercial advantage and cost saving to the laundry operator.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a device which will shake out and separate small laundered items quickly and expeditiously with minimum personal attendance or manual handling and which will enable a large volume of small laundered machine at a rapid rate.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having a plurality of conveyors arranged end to end with rotatable members interposed therebetween serving to transfer workpieces from one conveyor to another and to act upon the work-pieces incident to such transfer in such a manner as to spread, dull and separate the work-pieces and condition them for ironing.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which will transfer laundered items in; spread and fluff the items, which aerate-s the items by circulating hot air along the path of travel of the items in the device, and which deliver said items in separated, spread and aerated condition at the discharge station.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view of the device taken on line |l of Fig. 2, and illustrating fragmentarily and in side elevation the support of the device.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective detail view illustrating one form of flail element usable in the device.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the device.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional View of a flail member.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective View of a Hail member of slightly difierent construction.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the device, the. numeral I ll designates a support or framework of any construction found suitable. The framework will be rigid and of any height found desirable. As shown, the support is formed of a number of uprights 12 which may be formed of wood or metal structural members, which are interconnected adjacent their lower ends by horizontal or crossmembers i l welded or otherwise fixedly secured together, and which are secured together at their upper ends by structural members it. If desired, the supporting structure it n ay be mounted upon rollers, casters, wheels or other rotatable groundengaging members it to facilitate movement of the device from place to place. The rotating ground-engaging parts it are not required, however, and the framework it may be stationary. Where rotating supports [8 are employed, it may be desirable to provide releasable brake or retainer means (not shown) of any character found suitable, which will serve to maintain the device at a desired position during operation thereof.

A housing 26 is carried by the top of the support I ll, said housing preferably having a bottom panel 22, side panels 2d and a top panel 25. The top panel preferably merges with a domed or upwardly offset part 28 located at one end of the device. The housing 20 preferably includes an end wall it having an opening 32 formed therein. The opposite end of the housing preferably has an end wall portion 34 partially closing the same and defining an opening adapted to be spanned by a panel 36 slidably, swingably or otherwise releasably positioned to afford access into the end of the casing 20, if desired. The housing is preferably longer than the support or frame It) upon which it is mounted, the panel 22 projecting beyond said support adjacent the portions 34 and 36 and being provided with an aperture 38. Alternatively, the panel 22 may terminate at the frame, and the housing wall portions 24 and end wall portions 34 and 36 may project longitudinally therefrom.

A work collector or receptacle 40 will preferably be positioned below the panel 22 in a position to receive articles discharged through the opening 38. Any suitable frame 42 may serve to support the receptacle 40, the same preferably being positioned at such level that operators may conveniently reach the same to grasp the laundered items. As illustrated, the receptacle 40 may be positioned at substantially the lever of the conveyor 44 illustrated fragmentarily and which forms a part of a conventional commercial ironing machine commonly known in the trade as a fiat-work ironer. The ironer is here illustrated as located adjacent to this device; however, it will be understood that the position may be varied according to the requirements, and, in most instances, the instant device will be positioned spaced from the end of the fiat-work ironer a distance sufficient to permit workers to stand between the same for the purpose of withdrawing work-pieces from the receptacle 40 and depositing them upon the conveyor 44 of the fiat-work ironer.

The housing 20 is elongated and substantially horizontally positioned with its opening 32 at one end intermediate its height. A plurality of conveyors are mounted within the housing, each preferably being a belt type conveyor passing around rollers 46 whose axes are positioned at a common level and which extend transversely of the housing 20 between the end walls 24. Suitable bearings (not shown) may be provided to journal the rollers 46 or the shafts thereof. As here illustrated, four conveyors 48, 50, 52 and 54, respectively, are provided. The number is illustrative, however, and it will be understood that either more than four or less than four may be provided. The rollers 46, around which each of the conveyor belts 48, 50, 52, 54 is trained, are spaced apart, as best seen in Fig. 1, so that intervals occur between successive or adjacent conveyors. stantially the same width as the spacing between the side walls 24 of the chamber to substantially completely span the chamber, as best seen in Fig. 2, and the topmost run of each belt is positioned in a substantially horizontal plane and at substantially the same level as the top run of each of the other conveyor belts. The level of the top runs of the conveyor belts will be spaced above the lower edge of the casing opening 32 so as to facilitate the insertion of work-pieces into the chamber 20 and the deposit thereof upon the foremost conveyor 48.

Any suitable means may be provided for driving the conveyors, the same preferably being driven at the same speed and with their upper runs traveling in the same direction, that is, from right to left as viewed in Fig. 1. The drive means, as here illustrated, has a motor 56 supported upon a suitable platform 58 carried by the frame of the device. The motor drives an elongated shaft 60 The belts in each instance are of subl;

which is preferably journaled at spaced points 62 along its length. The shaft 60 has a driving connection with one roller 46 of each set, here illustrated as the rearmost roller. This driving connection may comprise a bevel gear 64 carried by the shaft 60 and meshing with a bevel gear 66 carried upon a stub shaft and mounting a pulley 68, around which is trained a belt I0 which meshes with a pulley 12 carried by the shaft 46 of the roller 46 at one end thereof. This arrangement is effective in instances in which the level of the shaft 60 is lower than the level of the roller shaft 46. It will be apparent, however, that in instances where said shafts are at substantially the same level, the pulley, belt and stub shaft arrangement may be eliminated and the gear 66 may be mounted directly upon the shaft 46 of the roller 46. The arrangement, assuming that the gear ratios are uniform for all of the conveyors, will drive the conveyors at the same speed of travel regardless of the length thereof, it being understood that the said conveyors need not be of equal lengths.

Flail units are positioned in the housing 20 between adjacent conveyors, as best illustrated in Fig. 1. The flail units may be of any suitable construction, for example, a construction similar to that illustrated in Figs. 4, 6 or 7. Each flail unit is characterized by a rigid, rotatable body member or cylinder having a reduced shaft extension 82 at each end thereof journaled in suitable bearings which may be carried by the housing walls 24 or otherwise suitably supported, as upon the framework of the device. The meml bers 86 will preferably be of a length substantially equal to the spacing between the side walls 24 or equal to the width of the conveyor belts and will preferably be notched longitudinally at two or more points, which notches receive longitudinally extending rigid retainer strips 84 which are detachably secured to the body 86, as by means of bolts 86. Flexible flail elements 88, such as elongated rubber strips, cords, ropes or the like, are anchored to the member 80 by extending transversely across one of the grooves at its central portion so as to be retained or clamped in said groove by strip 84, as best seen in Fig. 6, with its end portions projecting peripherally of the member 80 and spaced from one another and from the projecting ends of adjacent flail elements. In the preferred form there will be two or more fiail elements carried by each flail unit and these will be spaced apart short distances, not greatly exceeding two inches, and will be positioned along the full length of the member 80.

The shaft 82 of each flail unit will be positioned at a level such that the topmost surface of the member 80 will be at a level at or below the level of the top run of the conveyor belts. The member 80 will be positioned between and clear of the rolls 46 of adjacent conveyors. The flail elements 88 will be of such length, however, that they strike at least the discharge end of the adjacent conveyor. In the preferred form the flail unit will be substantially equally spaced between adjacent conveyors so that the flail elements 88 will strike the adjacent ends of the two conveyors between which it is positioned.

The flail element may be driven by any suitable means, for which purpose, as best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 5, an electric motor 96 is provided mounted upon a suitable support or platform 92 preferably at the side of the device opposite that at which the motor 56 is located. The motor drives an elongated shaft 94 journaled in one or are mounted upon the shaft Be, one adjacent each flail unit, which bevel gears 98 mesh with bevel gears lot mounted upon a stub shaft (not shown), which stub shaft carries a pulley upon which a belt I92 is trained, said belt passing around a pulley (not shown) mounted upon the projecting shaft portion 82 of the flail unit 80. This arrangement accommodates the mounting of the motor 90 and the positioning of the shaft 94 at a lower level than the flail units, but it will be understood that other constructions may be employed, in which said parts are located at substantially the same level, enabling direct mounting of the bevel gears loll upon the shaft 82 of the flail unit and eliminating the pulleys and belt 102, if desired.

In the operation of the device, the flail units will rotate in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1. These units will be driven at a peripheral speed substantially greater than the linear speed of the conveyors or at least at such speed that the speed of the tip portions of each flail element substantially exceeds the linear speed of the conveyors. The speed will be suflicient to impart substantial centrifugal force to the flexible flail elements and cause them to beat and engage the work-pieces which are discharged from the adjacent conveyor positioned at the right, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The contact of the tips of flail elements with the conveyor from which work-pieces are being discharged, coupled with the speed of rotation of the fiail unit, will give to each flail element a snap action as it moves upwardly past or out of contact with the feeding conveyor, which snap action is imparted to or acts upon the work-pieces as the same are being discharged from the adjacent right-hand conveyor, as viewed in Fig. 1. The forces acting upon the flail elements cause those flail elements to slap the work-pieces at a plurality of points, to tend to raise them upwardly, and also to propel them forwardly. This action causes the workpieces to be transferred onto the conveyor at the left of the flail unit, as viewed in Fig. 1. The combination of the slapping or snap contact of the flail elements with the work-piece, the raising or tossing of the work-pieces upwardly, and the deposit or discharge thereof onto the succeeding conveyor, tends to loosen the work-"pieces from their rolled or wadded condition and to separate and aerate the work-pieces. The action is such that, when repeated several times, the workpieces will be separated, spread and rendered in a condition separating the individual work-pieces, spreading them out, and preparing them for ironing, so that the shaking and stretching of the work-pieces by hand as they are fed to the flatwork ironer conveyor 34 is substantially reduced. In other words, the manual handling of the work pieces is reduced and the processed work-pieces can be fed rapidly onto the flatwork ironer in such a manner as to enable the same to operate at high capacity with only a few operators located at the feed end of the ironer, compared to present feeding practices with ironing machines.

It is desirable further to facilitate the operation of ironing machines, and particularly to enable a flat-work ironer to travel at high speed, to have work-pieces partly dried as they are fed to the ironer. In commercial laundry practices, the extractors serve mechanically or by centrifugal and below the top tion completely spanning the space between the side walls 2-? and providing an elongated upper chamber H2 which extends for the major portion of the length of the housing 26. An opening H l is provided at the left-hand end of the chamber, as illustrated in Fig. l, which opens that chamber into communication with the main At its opposite end, and

at H6, which partition is provided with a plurality of apertures H8. The upwardly ofiset portion I #6 preferably supports a motor I20 for an air-circulating fan I22 which may be of any suitable type. Thus, although a conventional is illustrated here, the fan may be a squirrel cage fan or any other fan found suitable. Heating coils, such as steam coils I24, are positioned immediately below the offset platconstitute a radiator serving to In the invention, the serve to draw air from the lefthand end of the chamber H2 at the opening I M through the apertures I I3 and past the heating co s i2 1. The fan serves to establish a circulation path which discharges the heated air downwardly upon the conveyor 48 and the work-piece carried thereby, and thence along the same toward the left-hand end of the device for reentry at the opening l ill of the chamber H2. The air-circulating system is an open system, rather than a closed system, by reason of the provision of the openings 32 and 38 and the releasable door element 35, and, therefore, any vapor generated is readily and quickly discharged.

It will be apparent that the combination of the action of tossing the laundered items upwardly into the air by the flail units, and the forced circulation of heated air, will serve effectively to aerate the laundered articles, to spread the same, to warm the articles and to partially dry the same, thereby rendering the laundered items in favorable condition for rapid traverse through the fiatwork ironer.

Certain additions and variations of the basic device as described herein are possible, which constitute refinements of used or desirable in some instances. One of such features illustrated in Fig. 5 constitutes the provision at the discharge end of the device of a transparent housing portion [til of such dimensions and so located that the operator may look completely through the machine endwise, as through the opening 32, in order to View the entire path of travel of the laundered articles through the device. Thus, in the event any difficulty occurs in the machine, it can be viewed, as in case any laundered articles should be embodiment of caught at an intermediate part of the device.

the device that may be adapted for a diiferent circuit controlling con- 1 dition when said plate I32 is operatively positioned. The switch I38 is preferably provided for the purpose of controlling an electrical signal I38, as illustrated in Fig. 5, positioned at the feed end of the device.

The handling of laundered articles in a commercial laundry requires, for systematic operation, the handling of all of the articles of one customers order at the same time in most instances. The provision of the closure I32 will facilitate the separation of the laundered articles forming parts of different orders. For example, the device may normally be operated with the closure 532 closed as long as there remains in the container 4%} any laundered articles from a previous order. When all of the items of the previous order have been removed from the container 46 and fed through the ironer, the closure I32 may be opened, permitting any articles which have collected at the discharge end to be deposited within the receptacle 10, and permitting, further, any articles successively fed therein to be discharged directly into the receptacle 4d. The purpose of the signal I38, where utilized, is to warn the operator at the feed end of the device when the closure I32 is in operative position, so that the operator will not start to feed laundered articles from a new bundle or order while the closure I32 is in operative position. Thus, assuming that the feeding of the items of one order has been completed, if the closure I32 is closed, then the operator at the feed station will be warned by the signal not to start feeding another order. As soon, however, as the closure is opened, the signal will be operated and the feeding operator will then be assured that she may commence to feed articles from a new order. The operation herein described, of course, is illustrative or suggestive, and the particular work procedure which is followed in a given laundry may vary from that described herein.

Another feature which may be incorporated within the device is the provision of a low level conveyor Ifiii, such as an endless belt trained around rollers I42 positioned below the level of the conveyors I 8-5l and of the flail members 80 and positioned above the bottom 22 of the device. This conveyor will preferably be such length that one end thereof will be positioned between the feed opening 32 and the first flail member 88, and

the opposite end thereof will terminate adjacent to the discharge opening 38. This conveyor will be driven from the drive mechanism of the device, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and will serve to carry to the discharge station any small laundered articles which may fall or be carried between adjacent upper elements, as in the case of handkerchiefs which are carried by the flail members rather than being discharged thereby onto a successive feed conveyor. The conveyor I40 will preferably travel at substantially the same speed as the conveyors 48-454, so that each article which may fall from the upper conveyors will travel at substantially the same speed and reach the discharge point with the other laundered articles in the same order or group. The conveyor will automatically discharge these articles through the outlet 38 and into the receptacle 40. If desired, the device may also be provided, at spaced points along the side walls 24 thereof, with openings spanned by releasable closures (not shown) so as to afford access to the interior of the chamber at different points along the length thereof.

While the preferred embodiment of the construction has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A laundry shake-out device comprising a casing having a feed opening and a discharge opening, a plurality of conveyors within said casing arranged substantially in line and spaced apart with the adjacent ends of adjacent conveyors at substantially the same level, and rotors positioned between adjacent conveyors with their axes below the work-supporting portions of said conveyors and mounting flexible members projecting peripherally, said rotors operating at high speed to propel work pieces discharged by one conveyor forwardly and upwardly onto the adjacent conveyor.

2. A laundry shake-out device comprising a casing having av feed opening and a discharge opening, a plurality of conveyors within said casing arranged substantially in line and spaced apart with the adjacent ends of adjacent conveyors at substantially the same level, a plurality of flail devices each interposed between adjacent conveyors and rotating on axes below the upper portions of said conveyors for transferring workpieces from one conveyor to another, and means for circulating air through said casing.

3. A laundry shake-out device comprising a casing having a feed opening and a discharge opening, a plurality of conveyors within said casing arranged substantially in line and spaced apart with the adjacent ends of adjacent conveyors at substantially the same level, a plurality of flail devices each interposed between adjacent conveyors and rotating on axes below the upper parts of said conveyors for transferring work-pieces from one conveyor to another, means for circulating air in said casing, and means for heating the air.

4. A laundry shake-out device comprising an elongated housing having a feed opening at one end thereof and a discharge opening in the bottom of the other end thereof, a plurality of conveyors arranged end to end between said openings and spaced apart with adjacent ends of adjacent conveyors at substantially the same level, and a plurality of rotors each positioned between a pair of adjacent conveyors with their axes below the upper parts of said conveyors, said rotors rotating at a peripheral speed greater than the speed of travel of said conveyors and serving to transfer work from one conveyor to another.

5. A laundry shake-out device comprising an elongated chamber having intake and discharge openings, a plurality of conveyors arranged end to end and in spaced relation with the adjacent ends of adjacent conveyors at substantially the same level, each conveyor advancing work lengthwise in said chamber for a fraction only of the length of the chamber, and high speed rotary members between adjacent conveyors and below said conveyor level for tossing work from the discharge end of one conveyor upwardly and forwardly onto the feed end of the adjacent conveyor.

6. A laundry shake-out device comprising an elongated chamber having intake and discharge openings, a plurality of conveyors arranged end to end and in spaced relation with the adjacent ends of adjacent conveyors at substantially the same level, each conveyor advancing work lengthwise in said chamber for a fraction only of the length of the chamber, and high speed rotary members between adjacent conveyors and rotating on axes below said conveyor level for tossing work from the discharge end of one conveyor upwardly and forwardly onto the feed end of the adjacent conveyor, said rotary members each mounting a plurality of peripherally projecting flexible flails.

7. A laundry shake-out device comprising an elongated chamber having intake and discharge openings, a plurality of conveyors arranged end to end and in spaced relation, each conveyor advancing work lengthwise in said chamber for a fraction only of the length of the chamber, high speed rotary members between adjacent conveyors for tossing work fromthe discharge end of one conveyor upwardly and forwardly onto the feed end of the adjacent conveyor, a longitudinal partition dividing said chamber into two compartments communicating with each other at opposite ends, and a fan for circulating air through and between said compartments.

8. A laundry shake-out device comprising an elon ated chamber having intake and discharge openings, a plurality of conveyors arranged end to end and in spaced relation, each conveyor advancing work lengthwise in said chamber for a fraction only of the length of the chamber, high speed rotary members between adjacent conveyors for tossing work from the discharge end of one conveyor upwardly and forwardly onto the feed end of the adjacent conveyor, a longitudinal partition dividing said chamber into two compartments communicating with each other at opposite ends, a fan for circulating air through and between said compartments, and a heater for heating the air.

9. A laundry shake-out device comprising an elongated substantially horizontal housing having an intake opening at one end and a discharge opening in its bottom at its opposite end, a plurality of short substantially aligned horizontal conveyors arranged in end to end spaced apart relation with the adjacent ends of adjacent conveyors at substantially the same level, and rotary members traveling at a peripheral speed 10 greater than the linear speed of said conveyors and each interposed between the adjacent ends of adjacent conveyors to transfer work from conveyor to conveyor, said rotary members rotating on axes below the level at which work is supported by said conveyors.

10. A laundry shake-out device comprising an elongated substantially horizontal housing having an intake opening at one end and a discharge opening in its bottom at its opposite end, a plurality of short substantially aligned horizontal conveyors arranged in end to end spaced apart relation, rotary members traveling at a peripheral speed greater than the linear speed of said conveyors and each interposed between the adjacent ends of adjacent conveyors to transfer Work from conveyor to conveyor, said conveyors constituting belts substantially spanning said housing transversely and having their upper runs in substantially coplanar relation intermediate the height of said housing, said rotary members having axes below the level of said upper belt runs, and means for actuating said conveyors and rotary members for substantially continuou operation.

1. A laundry shake-out device comprising an elongated substantially horizontal housing having an intake opening at one end and a discharge opening in its bottom at its opposite end, a plurality of short substantially aligned horizontal conveyors arranged in end to end spaced apart relation, and rotar members traveling at a peripheral speed greater than the linear speed of said conveyors and each interposed between the adjacent ends of adjacent conveyors to transfer work from conveyor to conveyor, said rotary members each positioned below the level of the work on the conveyors and including a plurality of peripherally projecting flexible flails each of a length to strike the end portion of at least the adjacent discharging conveyor as said member rotates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Niunber Name Date 312,342 Duryea Feb, 17, 1885 473,263 Proctor Apr. 19, 1892 847,038 Ayres Mar. 12, 1907 986,226 Schwartz Mar. 7, 1911 2,064,965 Wiel Dec. 22, 1936 2,501,224 Kadell Mar. 2 1950 2,506,476 Troy May 2, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 688,037 Germany Feb. 10, 1940 

